Liquid crystal display devices utilize a liquid crystal composition to provide display. A typical display method for such devices irradiates a liquid crystal display panel including a liquid crystal composition enclosed between paired substrates with light from the backlight and applies voltage to the liquid crystal composition to change the alignment of liquid crystal molecules, thereby controlling the amount of light passing through the liquid crystal display panel. Such liquid crystal display devices have a thin profile, light weight, and low power consumption, and are therefore utilized in electronic products such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and automotive navigation systems.
Alignment division techniques have been studied which divide one pixel into multiple alignment regions (domains) to align the liquid crystal molecules at different azimuths in different alignment regions such that the viewing angle characteristics are enhanced. The alignment of a pixel can be divided by, for example, a method that divides a half-pixel into four alignment regions of two rows by two columns. Examples of such an alignment mode include 4 domain-reverse twisted nematic (4D-RTN) mode (e.g., Patent Literature 1, Patent Literature 2).
Patent Literature 1 discloses improvement of the display quality by a light-shielding film at positions where alignment disorder of liquid crystal molecules occurs. Patent Literature 1 also mentions division of the alignment in one pixel into four rows by one column as a technique to produce a 4D-RTN mode liquid crystal display panel. Patent Literature 2 suggests a technique of increasing the transmittance of a 4D-RTN mode liquid crystal display panel using an electrode configuration including a main part and multiple branches extending parallel to each other from the main part.